Reactive. Inclusive. Affordable AF.

Why this site exists

Beauty shopping online is broken in a specific way: there is no shortage of reviews, but almost all of them are written by people who were sent the product for free, or generated at scale by someone who has never opened the box. When every review is five stars, a five-star review means nothing.

Lottie London Makeup started as a simple record of what actually worked. We were already buying cruelty-free and vegan makeup, already comparing formulas across price points, and already frustrated that the honest information was buried under sponsored content. So we started writing it down properly — with scores, with reasons, and with the caveats included.

What we cover

The core of the site is the Lottie London range — face, eyes and lips — because it is the brand we know best and the one that started this. Alongside it we maintain a ranked review of the most popular beauty and personal care brands of 2026, spanning makeup, skincare, body, hair, sun care, nails, oral care, fragrance and tools.

We also keep a short list of standout products from outside the brand — the ones we would recommend to a friend regardless of whether there is a commission attached.

How we test

Our method is deliberately unglamorous. It is designed to catch the things that only show up after the first application.

How our scores work

Every brand score is built from four weighted components, each marked out of ten:

• Formula — does it perform as claimed, and does it hold up over a full day of wear?
• Value — performance relative to what it costs, not in absolute terms.
• Range — shade inclusivity and breadth of the catalogue.
• Availability — whether you can actually buy it without waiting for a restock.

A score below 8.5 means we have real reservations. We do not publish scores in the 6s and 7s as a courtesy — if a brand does not clear our bar, it does not get a card on this site at all.

How we make money

This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. When you buy through a link here, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.

We also display advertising through Google AdSense. Neither the affiliate programme nor advertising influences what we review or how we score it — no brand has ever been given approval over a review before publication, and no brand pays for placement in our rankings. The full details are set out in our affiliate disclosure.

Corrections

We get things wrong sometimes — a formula changes, a brand's cruelty-free status shifts, or a price we quoted is out of date. If you spot something inaccurate, tell us via the contact page and we will check it and correct the page. Substantive corrections are noted on the page itself.

Editorial independence

Three commitments we hold to, without exception:

1. We never accept payment in exchange for a positive review or a higher ranking.
2. We never let a brand read a review before it is published.
3. We disclose every commercial relationship, on every page where it applies.